2015 Lunar Press Sheet With Die Cuts Sold Out?

I checked ebay and USPS and the press sheet with die cuts cannot be found. Only the imperf/without die cuts is available for sale...

2015 lunar goat/ram press sheet

Print quantity of 500... I did not realize it would sell out this soon???

So I decided to check eBays purchase history, only 3 sold on ebay?!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221689043923

What happened to the other 496 press sheets, sold from usps.com? Very strange the die cut is out but the no die cut imperf is still available...

Recent no die-cut sheets have seen very small press runs and there is no per-order limit, meaning one dealer/collector/speculator can practically corner the market on them if they're willing and able to pony up for them. Many have been sold out before they're officially released, often within one day.

But this one sold out is With Die Cut...

Imperf without die cut stamps are easy to tell apart because of the non extant marks.

Now a sheet with die cuts is harder to tell. You will only know if a stamp came from a press sheet if you see it coming off it. Die cut press sheets are meant to be framed and kept as a whole.

Cutting up a die cut press sheet makes it useless and you might as well purchase the single pane sheets.

The per-order limit for Press Sheets was lifted because it was essentially unenforceable. If one wanted to corner the market on Press Sheet limits, all they had to do was place multiple orders using a different name (wife, child, mother, brother, second cousin ... whatever) and/or send some to a business address and others to a home address, etc.

Further, the USPS does not really care about collectors. They are in it for the value they receive in selling these Press Sheets (which for the most part are retained as collectibles rather than used for postage) which is pure profit for the USPS.

Given the vast quantity of new issues coming out, I think the USPS is learning that they are better off creating only a limited number of Press Sheets and selling them right away as compared to issuing a larger number only to have them remain in stock until they become obsolete and ultimately get destroyed.

There have also been reports that some Press Sheets are made available at First Day of Issue ceremonies and collectors and/or speculators buy up large quantities there, too.

I wouldn't hold too much confidence in the numbers shown on the USPS ebay listings, as I have seen numbers change for apparently no valid reason. Furthermore, that is only a small part of their sales when considering those orders made at the FDOI ceremony or those calling the 800# for an order, or those ordering online through the USPS store's website.

With "only" 500 Press Sheets available -- which comes down to only 10 Press Sheets for collectors in every US State -- that's a very small number and it is only common sense to expect that they would sell out very quickly.

wt1, All press sheets I seen or heard cornered are imperfs, not ones with die cuts...

Unless someone saw the low amount of die cuts sold, bought them all up and cut them into panes so full sheets are scarce... 500 press sheets each each but over 2 billion people celebrating lunar New Years...

Called and the lady over the phone said it was sold out March 22nd...

So I email Linns editor to let them know about this since they usually publish when a press sheet is sold out or pulled from sale. A Die Cut press sheet sold out before the no-die cut is a first to me.

the first War of 1812 press sheet WITH die cuts (was item 578484) sold out while the imperf was still available. I don't know if the imperf eventually sold out or not though.